From the Daily Star
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Nor'wester kills 16, injures 300
BDNEWS, Dhaka
At least 16 people, including women and children, were killed and over 300 injured by nor'wester in Chandpur, Habiganj, Faridpur, Kishoreganj, Manikganj and Munshiganj yesterday and Tuesday night.
At least 31 others were also reported missing since the nor'wester accompanied by hailstorm razed vast areas felling many trees and houses and damaging crops.
Continued rain in many areas, including capital Dhaka, paralysed normal life. The nor'wester snapped telecommunications and affected electricity supply in a number of places.
Police and local sources said hundreds of thatched houses and trees in Chandpur were damaged in a 15-minute nor'wester starting at 8pm Tuesday.
Police Super Mokhlesur Rahman informed that Rony, 3, of Ramdhanimura in Hajiganj, Rina Akter, 12, of Ragoi of Shahrasti, and Sabura Khatun, 60, of Chalia in Faridganj, died as their houses collapsed during the storm. The SP also said freedom fighter Mafizur Rahman, 80, of Chandail of Shaharasti, and madrasa teacher Habibur Rahman, 73, of Govindapur in Faridganj, died in lightning.
Over 100 people were injured in the storm. Many of them were admitted to Chandpur Sadar hospital.
One Yunus Sardar, 60, hailing from Shariatpur, remained missing as a boat capsized during the nor'wester.
The district was out of electricity Wednesday. Also, telecommunications between the district and upazila headquarters remained suspended.
District relief office, however, said they know nothing about the natural disaster.
In Habiganj, four people--Mamtaz Mian, 62, Rabedunnesa, 60, Anil Das, 48, and Salahuddin, 16, died in lightning while working in the fields at Ajmiriganj Wednesday morning. Two others injured in the lightning were admitted to hospital.
The electricity supply in the district was disrupted till 6pm.
In Kishoreganj, Sufia Khatun, 25, died in lightning while Kaiyum, 13, was electrocuted when he came in touch of a live wire during the rainy weather Wednesday.
Two people were killed and over 50 injured as a nor'wester lashed Boalmari, Bhanga, Nagarkanda, Sadarpur and Sadar upazilas in Faridpur Tuesday night.
M Odud, 80, of Shilahati village, and Zia Sheikh, 45, of Bhelanagar of Boialmari, died as their house collapsed.
A severe nor'wester lashed Munsiganj Wednesday afternoon killing one person.
In Shariatpur, at least 50 people were injured during a nor'wester Tuesday night.
In Noakhali 30 fishermen were reported missing as several trawlers and boats capsized Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, in the wake of inclement weather, the government yesterday suspended launch communications for safety reasons.
No launch was allowed to leave from Sadarghat launch terminal throughout yesterday as warning signal No. 2 was forecast by met office. BIWTA Director (Port and Traffic) said if the met office withdraws the signal No. 2, big launches may be allowed to start for their destinations after 10pm.
Launch communications in 24 routes from Barisal also remained suspended except that one rocket launch left the terminal for Dhaka.
8 more dead in twisters
Star Report
Eight more people were reported killed and at least 35 injured as a nor'wester lashed over the southeastern districts of the country Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, felling trees and houses, snapping power and telephone lines and damaging crops.
Our Magura correspondent reports that three people were killed and 35 injured in Maheshpur, Harinakundu and Kaliganj upazilas of Jhenidah district.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Nurul Karim Mazumder said that Kushai Mandal, 80, of Lebutala village in Maheshpur, and Sarwar, 40, of Basudevpur in Harinakundu, died as their houses collapsed during the nor'wester on Wednesday. Another victim, Russel, 18, of Iswarbah village in Kaliganj, died the previous night after a tree collapsed on him.
According to the district administration and local sources, at least 700 thatched houses in the three upazilas were razed to the ground during the 11-minute storm that began at 6:05pm on Wednesday.
Of the injured, 25 were admitted to the sadar hospital and upazila health complexes.
Electricity poles were uprooted in different areas, plunging Jhenidah district into darkness for about six hours until the power supply was restored at 1am.
According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources, standing crops, including wheat, banana and tobacco, on vast areas of land in the district were damaged during the nor'wester.
UNB sources in Madaripur said five people were killed by lightning and electrocution, as well as a trawler capsize, when the nor'wester swept the district Tuesday evening.
Abdus Sobahan, 35, Shahadat, 30, and Yusuf Ali, 28, drowned as a trawler sank in the river Arialkhan in sadar upazila.
Firoza Khatun, 35, wife of Shukur Khalifa of Charkamlapur village in Shibchar upazila, was killed in a lightning strike while a young man, Nepal, 32, was electrocuted at Shibchar Bazar under Shibchar upazila when he came in contact with a live electrical wire.
Meanwhile, the power supply in the district resumed yesterday, three days after the nor'wester sent Madaripur into a blackout.
Over 2,000 thatched houses collapsed and thousands of trees were uprooted in the district during the severe storms.
According to BDNEWS sources, authorities barred movement of small launches (below 65 feet) due to inclement weather, officials said yesterday.
An official at the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) said they are not allowing any small launches less than 65 feet to leave terminals as the warning signal No. 2 forecast by met office continues.
Earlier on Wednesday, the government suspended launch communications from launch terminals for safety reasons in the wake of the harsh weather.
"As the situation improved after 10pm Wednesday night, we allowed some big launches to move toward their destinations," the official said, requesting anonymity. Yesterday morning, some 11 launches of lengths more than 65 feet left the Sadarghat terminal.
He said the authorities are checking the big launches and have kept an eye on weather forecasts round the clock. "It's a risky time and nobody knows when the situation may deteriorate. So, we request all concerned to be alert," said another BIWTA official.